A 42-Year Love Story
Nelia grew up with an atheist father. Nelia’s mother took her children to Quaker services sometimes, but she didn’t talk about religion at home.
Nelia met Ken, the love of her life, on Nantucket Island in 1970. The two fell in love and were soon married.
DIVINE RENTAL AGREEMENT
Ken and Nelia dreamed of a house in the country, but on a college student budget. They composed a letter describing their search and $110 budget. They mailed copies to several local real estate agents. Only one bothered to answer.
“I just got your letter,” the agent responded. “Just before opening it, I had someone call saying he has a house in the country, and he wants to charge $110 a month to rent it.”
The owners, the Hecks, were kind and generous Seventh-day Adventist Christians, welcoming Ken and Nelia into their lives and their rental home. They gifted the young couple spiritual books and sent them a subscription to an evangelistic magazine.
IN A HIPPIE COMMUNE SEARCHING FOR GOD
But after three years at the Hecks’, Ken had adventure on his mind, moving his growing family to a commune deep in a Massachusetts forest.
Commune life was difficult for Nelia. “There were a lot of drugs. We were all trying to be hippies. It was very strange and uncomfortable,” she remembers.
In her discomfort, Nelia started seeking God. At first, she read books on mysticism. She also started reading the magazines that the Hecks were still sending.
Nelia wanted to read more. She searched the house until she found a book about Jesus the Hecks had given her. It was The Desire of Ages.
“When I came to the chapter on the Sermon on the Mount, it struck me in a very powerful way,” recalls Nelia. “I had a powerful born-again experience. I knew without a doubt that Christ loved me and had died for me.”
Nelia was on fire for Jesus! Ken was unsure.
A HOUSE DIVIDED
Nelia surged ahead in her Christian journey. She encountered several Adventist people during the next few months, took Bible studies, and in 1979 she joined the Adventist Church. She was on fire!
But Ken? He didn’t share her excitement.
To Ken, Adventist churches seemed dreary and small-minded.
Ken did care about God, though. He often read the Bible on solitary evenings and even read the magazines the Hecks had sent. But it didn’t click for him . . . yet.
HUNGRY FOR TRUTH—FINALLY
Years later, Ken and Nelia were invited by an Adventist church in Massachusetts to join them online for the four-part Voice of Prophecy series Shadow Empire.
Ken was intrigued by the exciting, history-focused series—and happy to engage with a church that focused on reaching out to the community.
After Shadow Empire concluded, the couple was invited to the full-message series Revelation Speaks Peace. Ken was eager and READY. In fact, when Ken realized that he had a schedule conflict with some of the meetings, he ordered the entire DVD series so he wouldn't miss a single session.
The day those DVDs arrived in the mail, Ken started watching immediately. He and Nelia watched the entire 24-part series in one week.
“It all just became real. It was just like when somebody turns on the light switch and the room lights up,” says Ken.
Forty-two years after Nelia's baptism, her husband had finally discovered the transformative love of Christ. Ken is now a newly baptized church member, Voice of Prophecy Sponsor, and keen advocate for community evangelism.
YOU CAN SHINE THE LIGHT
Evangelism isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Ken and Nelia came to understand and accept Bible truth through very different paths, and very different timelines! That’s why we need your support—to continue to share the Bible in as many ways, from as many angles, as possible.
Will you stand with Ken and Nelia today? Will you sponsor evangelism for a world lost and distracted by the enemy?
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Your donation's impact:
- Produce high-quality bridge-building events
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Empower local churches in reaching their communities
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Call earnest seekers like Ken to a life-saving walk with Jesus